Critical Analysis of Anti-smoking Media Ad: Theory of Reasoned Action

Critical Analysis of Anti-smoking Media Ad
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Critical Analysis of Anti-smoking Media Ad: Theory of Reasoned Action
Smoking has been classified as behavior that people can quit or stop with proper mental adjustments. Different campaigns have been used by anti-smoking organizations to persuade people to stop smoking, but the habit is still prevalent in society. Scientists have linked smoking to terminal diseases like cancer and heart diseases, making anti-smokers to use messages that link smoking to death. When preparing anti-smoking messages, the theory of reasoned action (TRA) readily comes in to impact the decision-makers. According to lecture notes, the TRA asserts that people are rational decision makers. Two factors affect rational decisions. People’s decisions and eventual actions are affected by attitudes (positive and negative) and subjective norms. An analysis of an anti-smoking Ad shows how the TRA has been utilized in the Ad below to persuade people to quit smoking. The message is “Every Cigarette You Smoke Takes Away 14 Minutes of Your Life.”
Figure SEQ Figure \* ARABIC 1. Anti-smoking Ad
Source: Agosto (2015)
Evaluation of the Message about TRA
TRA operates on the assertion that people are rational beings that are motivated by attitudes. Attitudes can be positive or negative. When a person’s positive attitude is greater than the negative attitude, one can reinforce the positive attitude to influence decision-making. Similarly, when a person’s negative attitude is greater than the positive attitude towards a behavior, one can influence the person’s decision-making through reinforcement of the negative attitude. TRA attempts to focus on behavioral change by concentrating on the assumption that people will be tempted to change their behaviors based on the attitudes and subjective norms they have towards a given behavior.
When utilizing the attitude in the Ad, the message must be specific on attitude but should allow the audience freedom of choice. The message “Every Cigarette You Smoke Takes Away 14 Minutes of Your Life” appeals to smokers’ positive attitude towards life. Even though the audience of the message may have a strong urge to smoke, the message seeks to persuade the audience to reason. When a smoker or a person thinking of starting to smoke sees the message, the person will be forced to weigh between the value of life and the cost that smoking attracts to his life. The winning side will make the person make an informed decision.
One of the significant impacts of targeting attitude is that it allows the audience the freedom to choose. In this advert, the smoker is not told directly to stop quitting. The Ad is indirectly persuading the smoker or the person int...